Scientific Student Conference 2018

Corvinus University of Budapest

On 17 May 2018, at 11 am, the closing event of the Scientific Student Conference (Tudományos Diákköri Konferencia, TDK) of the Corvinus University of Budapest took place. The event was opened by Dr. Zoltán Szántó, Deputy Rector of Education. Deputy Rector emphasized that the nearly 50-year history of the scientific student movement was a Hungarikum and as such it is a unique phenomenon in Europe. He pointed out that the TDK is not a competition, but a conference where students share and discuss their academic achievements with each other and with the professional jury. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the Deputy Rector encouraged the students to participate in further research and doctoral studies. Finally, he thanked the work for the students, their consultants, the reviewers, the section secretaries and for all other contributors.

After that, Dr. Ágnes Habil Wimmer, Head of the Faculty of Business and Administration of TDK, highlighted the motto of the EFOP project that supported the conference: “Talent Becoming A Young Researcher”. In connection with the project, she talked about talent which begins with openness. Then added that the researcher’s career, in addition to talent, also includes a certain way of thinking and a toolbox. She also expressed her hope that here, at the closing event, the future PhD students and colleagues would sit among the lines. To further promote that, she urged the conference materials to be published and the winners to present their research at the National Scientific Student Conference (Országos Tudományos Diákköri Konferencia, OTDK). The materials and their creators recommended this year to OTDK will meet in Pécs and Gödöllő in 2019. Over the past five years, the Corvinus University of Budapest has been able to gain 130 positions at the national competition. Her thoughts were closed by the following recommendation:

“I wish you all exciting discoveries and good research in the future!”

After the speeches, 125 prizes were handed over as part of the conference closing ceremony. The nominees from the Institute of World Economy received three prizes: Europe Section: Réka Markóczy and Lilla Szathmáry first place, their consultant was our institute’s teaching assistant, Sejla Almadi; World Economy Section: Edit Rigó first place and Iván Bálint Tilesch second place, their consultant was our institute’s assistant professor, Viktoria Endrődi-Kovács. The interviews with the first place winners can be read in our following articles.

At the end, Dora Kovács, the Student Science Council Secretary (Hallgatói Tudományos Tanács Titkára), presented the popularity of the TDK among the students of the Corvinus University of Budapest. In recent years, the interest for the conference has significantly increased, so has the participation. While the students in 2017 applied with 378 exams, this year they applied with 416 exams in the first round, of which 290 completed essays were recorded. Of these, 223 researches came to the second, the oral round, and finally 125 prizes were awarded. The HTT secretary drew attention to the fact that this trend is partly due to the incentives, since successful participation at the conference means receiving also a good scholarship. Dóra Kovács opened the reception to the participants after her congratulations, where cold and warm buffet meals, desserts and champagne were waiting for the proud celebrators.

Editor, A.S. 2018